Eve Mitleton-Kelly - Böcker

In January 1995, the first Complexity Seminar was held at the London School of Economics, in the UK. This was quite a momentous occasion as it proved to be the turning point for the series of seminars, which had started in December 1992. That seminar and those that followed it, had a profound effect on the research interests of Eve Mitleton-Kelly, the initiator and organiser of the series and editor of this volume, and thus laid the foundation for what became the LSE Complexity Research Programme, which proceeded to win several research awards for collaborative projects with companies. But the series also provided the material for this book. Earlier versions of the papers selected for this volume were first given at the LSE Complexity Seminar series. The seminar series, focussed primarily on the application of the theories of complexity to organisations - an area of study which was quite new to UK businesses and academics; it slowly helped to disseminate these ideas and today, there is a proliferation of networks and seminar series throughout the UK on complexity; a strong and active academic community studying complexity in different disciplines and a growing number of organisations, experimenting with these revolutionary ideas and putting them into practice. The 14 international authors in this volume reflect this interest in 10 chapters that range from the very practical application of the theory to more philosophical reflections on its nature and applicability. They do not all agree with each other, but since diversity and variety is at the heart of complexity they each provide a strand of an intertwined whole, which will enrich and deepen our understanding. In an environment of increasing uncertainty and ambiguity it is necessary to learn how to hold, in tension, disparate or even contradictory views, without undue stress. The world is not a simple dyadic black or white entity, but a rich multi-coloured and many-hued ensemble, each strand or perspective contributing to an intricate and inter-related n-dimensional whole.

This comprehensive Handbook is aimed at both academic researchers and practitioners in the field of complexity science. The book’s 26 chapters, specially written by leading experts, provide in-depth coverage of research methods based on the sciences of complexity. The research methods presented are illustratively applied to practical cases and are readily accessible to researchers and decision-makers alike.The Handbook'’s wide range of research methods are clearly illustrated with case studies that demonstrate their practical application. They range from the regeneration of communities to musical performance; from complex governance networks to psychotherapy; from gender dynamics to agent-based modelling; and the appropriate response to pandemics. Some unusual research methods – based on art, psychology and multi-level networks – are also included. Furthermore, the book incorporates discussions on the philosophical aspect of research methods and explores important theoretical concepts, such as exaptation, emergence, self-organisation and co-evolution.This is an ideal resource for academics and researchers in the field seeking and exploring new research methods. For decision-makers and researchers trying to address complex challenges it will be an essential source of inspiration that will arm them with effective state-of-the-art research methods for the future.Contributors include: P. Allen, P. Andriani, S. Banerjee, Y. Bar-Yam, P. Beautement, C.R. Booth, J. Bromley, H.L. Brown, J. Burton, G. Carignani, B. Castellani, G.C. Crawford, C. Day, C.J. Dister, R. Durie, E.G. Eason, K.M. English, J. Fortune, M. Gabbay, J. Goldstein, J.K. Hazy, K. Hopkinson, N. Hupert, E.S. Ihara, H.J. Jensen, J. Johnson, D.G. Kelty-Stephen, W.G. Kennedy, L. Kuhn, B. Lichtenstein, C. Lundy, B. McKelvey, E. Mitleton-Kelly, S. Mockett, G. Morçöl, S. Mukherjee, S.K. Palit, A. Paraskevas, B. Pourbohloul, R. Rajaram, F.A. Razak, K.A. Richardson, J. Rowan Scott, Y. Shapiro, S. Kim, J. Stead, H. Stuteley, A. Tait, C.J. Tompkins, L. Varga, X. Wan, P.R. Wolenski, M.E. Wolf-Branigin, K. Wyatt